[Med-privacy] HIV reporting

[Peter Marshall]

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New HIV Reporting Guidelines Could Endanger Privacy AIDS Group Warns
by Doug Windsor, 365Gay.com  New York Bureau=A0

(New York City)=A0An advocacy group for people with HIV/AIDS is warning=20=

that proposed new federal regulations could endanger the privacy of=20
PWAs.

The Centers for Disease Control is implementing the Program Evaluation=20=

and Monitoring System (PEMS). It requires unprecedented surveillance=20
requirements for federally funded HIV prevention programs.=A0

Among the regulations is a provision requiring local AIDS groups that=20
get federal funding to provide the CDC with details about every=20
patient, including their sex life and partners.

But the agency has not said how it will assure the confidentiality of=20
the data.

The Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), a national=20
advocacy group, said Wednesday that the new regulations should raise=20
alarm bells.

It notes that some legal experts believe could be subpoenaed in states=20=

where there are laws that criminalize HIV transmission.

CHAMP warns that this could deter people from being frank in=20
counseling, and could prevent people from accessing services and=20
getting prevention support.

"We are eager to collect necessary information that will help us=20
continue to improve our prevention efforts but we share widespread=20
public concern about government monitoring," Julie Davids, Executive=20
Director of CHAMP said in a statement.

"PEMS prioritizes invasive data collection above the actual work of HIV=20=

prevention itself, threatening to turn educators into interrogators and=20=

overwhelm already understaffed HIV prevention agencies with paperwork."

Davids also noted that abstinence-only programs are barely monitored by=20=

the CDC and are getting=A0 funding increases "despite no evidence that=20=

they prevent HIV, and much documentation that they do spread=20
misinformation."

Davids called for a postponement of deadlines for all programs to=20
become PEMS-compliant and for fundamental changes in the program. She=20
said that the CDC needs to assure that community providers who speak=20
out will not be penalized with funding cuts.

=A9365Gay.com=A02005


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=
</x-tad-smaller></smaller></smaller></fontfamily><bold><fontfamily><param>=
Helvetica</param><bigger><x-tad-bigger>New
HIV Reporting Guidelines Could Endanger Privacy AIDS Group Warns

=
</x-tad-bigger></bigger></fontfamily></bold><italic><fontfamily><param>Hel=
vetica</param><smaller><x-tad-smaller>by
Doug Windsor, 365Gay.com  New York
Bureau=A0</x-tad-smaller></smaller></fontfamily></italic>=20


<fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param><smaller><x-tad-smaller>(New York
City)=A0An advocacy group for people with HIV/AIDS is warning that
proposed new federal regulations could endanger the privacy of PWAs.


The Centers for Disease Control is implementing the Program Evaluation
and Monitoring System (PEMS). It requires unprecedented surveillance
requirements for federally funded HIV prevention programs.=A0


Among the regulations is a provision requiring local AIDS groups that
get federal funding to provide the CDC with details about every
patient, including their sex life and partners.


But the agency has not said how it will assure the confidentiality of
the data.


The Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), a national
advocacy group, said Wednesday that the new regulations should raise
alarm bells.


It notes that some legal experts believe could be subpoenaed in states
where there are laws that criminalize HIV transmission.


CHAMP warns that this could deter people from being frank in
counseling, and could prevent people from accessing services and
getting prevention support.


"We are eager to collect necessary information that will help us
continue to improve our prevention efforts but we share widespread
public concern about government monitoring," Julie Davids, Executive
Director of CHAMP said in a statement.


"PEMS prioritizes invasive data collection above the actual work of
HIV prevention itself, threatening to turn educators into
interrogators and overwhelm already understaffed HIV prevention
agencies with paperwork."


Davids also noted that abstinence-only programs are barely monitored
by the CDC and are getting=A0 funding increases "despite no evidence
that they prevent HIV, and much documentation that they do spread
misinformation."


Davids called for a postponement of deadlines for all programs to
become PEMS-compliant and for fundamental changes in the program. She
said that the CDC needs to assure that community providers who speak
out will not be penalized with funding cuts.


=
</x-tad-smaller><bold><x-tad-smaller>=A9365Gay.com=A02005</x-tad-smaller><=
/bold></smaller></fontfamily>=20



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